Building construction



Jan. 24, 1939. M. NIRDLINGER 2,145,012

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed June 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 24, 1939. M. NIRDLINGER 2,145,012

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed June 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mazm z'Zz'an fVz' rdla'rzyer:

Patented Jan. 24, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to building constructions and particularly to wall, floor and ceiling structures therefor.

An object of the invention is the provision of -5 sheet metal joist and floor pan members which may be easily and quickly assembled to form an inexpensive, light weight framework to which the floor and ceiling elements may be applied.

Another object contemplates the use of sheet -l metal studding for interior partitions and also for outside wall structures.

A still further object is the formation of the floor pan and joist and the studding whereby these members may be associated and intercon- -l nected to provide a composite framework to which the exterior elements of the floors and walls may be applied in customary manner.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will now be more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section through a building structure showing the sheet metal floor pan and joist arrangement in operative position and associated with the sheet metal studding.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken through a portion of a flooring and showing a plurality of floor pan and joist members secured in operative relation.

Figure 3 is a plan view partly in section showing the connection between the ends of the joists and the studding.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the connection between adjacent joists.

36 Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the shoes for positioning the studding.

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the means for securing the joist sections together, and

Figure 7 is a modification of the joist structure.

40 Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figure 1, there is disclosed a section of a building having an outside wall iii, an inside wall II and upper and lower floors l2 and I3 respectively. These floors and also the ceil- 4! ing I4 of the upper floor l2 are supported by means of a plurality of my sheet metal floor pan and joist members l5 which are adapted to supplant the usual wooden beams or joists. Likewise, the inner and outer walls l0 and II 80 are formed with my sheet metal studding members l6 which are associated with the members i! and cooperate to support the joists in operative position.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 4, it will be I observed that each sheet metal member I6 is of substantially channel-shape formation, the base of which comprises the floor pan I1 and the legs or flanges of which comprise joist sections l8. Each of these sections when applied to a building structure is adapted to abut and -5 be secured to a like section or flan e on an adjacent member 18. At a point adjacent the connection between the joist sections I8 with the floor pan, each section is curved inwardly as at I9 to form a shoulder, and is then provided with :10 an outwardly extending portion 20 which merges with one edge of the floor pan ll. When the joist section l8 of one member is placed in abutting relation with an adjacent section, there is formed a pocket or seat 2| having converging l5 walls. This seat is adapted to support and, by reason of the converging walls, positively lock a nailing strip 22 in the joist between adjacent floor pans. In assembling the members It, each nailing strip 22 is initially placed in the seat before the joist sections are secured together in abutting relation.

To facilitate retaining the joist sections against longitudinal movement after being placed together, one of the sections is provided with a 25 plurality of apertures 23, while the other sec-- tion is formed with a like number of bosses 24 adapted to align with and project through the apertures. Wedges 24 are then inserted in the loops formed by the bosses 24 to form locking, means for the joist sections. Furthermore, any suitable fastening means such as the bolt and nut arrangement 25 are also positioned at spaced points adjacent the upper and lower ends of the joists to securely lock the sections it in abutting. relation.

In addition to the upper nailing strip 22, the lower end portions of the joist sections are designed to receive and retain lower nailing strips 26. Similarly to the upper seat structure, each joist section is provided with a shoulder 21 and a tapered wall 28 which cooperate with like elements on an adjacent section to form a lower nailing strip supporting and retaining seat.

For the purpose of strengthening and rigidly securing the floor pan and joist sections together,

I provide a plurality of bridging elements 29. Each element is adapted to extend diagonally from the lower end of one joist to the floor pan adjacent the opposite joist and the floor pan has formed therein a plurality of oppositely disposed openings 30 and the inner edge of each opening is bent upwardly and outwardly upon itself to form a rounded hook-engaging portion 3|. Each bridging element 22 has one end thereu of formed into a hook I! which is adapted to engage one of the elements 8|. The other end of the bridging element is provided with an oi!- set portion or flange 88 adapted to abut one of the joist sections i8 and to align with a like flange of the bridging element secured in the next adjacent member l8. As shown in Figure 2, these flanges are bolted to the joist sections II by means oi suitable fastening elements 34.

As shown in Figure 2, the underflooring 88 rests upon and is secured to the nailing strips 22. It will be observed that the floor pan has a slight transverse curvature from side to side and in this view the central portion of the curved floor pan is shown in contacting relation with the floring 35. If desired, however, the nailing strips may be of suflicient height to space the flooring from the floor pan. The lower nailing strips 28 are adapted to support the ceiling laths 38 and this, in turn, retains the ceiling plaster 31 in place in the usual manner.

Referring again to Figure 1, and also Figure 3, there is disclosed a plurality of my sheet metal wall studding members 38. These members, similarly to the sheet metal joists, are adapted to supplant the usual wooden studding elements. Each member 38 comprises a pair of complementary sheet metal panels 39 which are transversely dished or curved inwardly intermediate the ends of the panels to form longitudinally extending channels 48. The longitudinal edges of the panels are bent inwardly to form tapered walls 4|. This arrangement of the spaced panels provides oppositely disposed seats for receiving vertically extending nailing strips 42 which are adapted to be supported and retained in operative position by reason of the inwardly extending walls 4| of the panels. At spaced points the panels are secured together by means of suitable fastening elements 43. It will be observed that the assembled panels and nailing strips form an emcient studing and by reason of the intermediate curved channel portions 40 being clamped together in spaced relation by the nailing strips 42, any shrinkage or change in shape or size of the nailing strips will be compensated for by the resiliency of the panels.

The studding for the inner wall structure it is supported upon a wooden partition plate 44 and to this plate are secured a plurality of steel shoes 45 (see Fig. 5). Each shoe is substantially wedgeshape and is provided with a pair of holes 48 for the reception of spikes 41 which are adapted to be driven into the partition plate to secure the shoe thereto. One shoe is provided for each studding member and the lower end of the studding is placed over the shoe and thereby retained in spaced relation with respect to the other studding members.

As shown in Figure 1, the studding members ii for the end walls are extended below the studding members which comprise the inner wall structures. This is for the purpose of permitting the end portions of the lower joists to be secured to the lower ends of the studding. The spacing of the joists and studding members is such that the end portion of one joist abuts the lower end of one of the studding members and, as clearly shown in Figure 3, these members are secured together by suitable fastening elements 48. Separators 48 may be supported on the elements 48 and used as desired and when necessary to fill any gaps between the abutting portions of the joists and studding members. The same means of connecting the ends of the upper joists are also utilized with the exception that an additional supporting element for the ends of the joists is provided by a horizontally positioned ribbon or strip- 48. This strip is, in turn, supported by the studding members and this is accomplished by cutting out or removing a portion of one of the nailing strips 42. Furthermore, at the point where the, ribbon abuts the studding elements, the adjacent walls 4| are bent inwardly as at 50 to provide suiiicient space for receiving and supporting the ribbon to the studding'members. As shown in Figure 1, the end of the joist rests directly upon the ribbon 49 and this is' accomplished by cutting away a portion of the lower nailing strip sumciently to permit the insertion of the ribbon in the notch formed in the nailing strip.

With respect to the inner wall structures the studding preferably terminates below the lower ends oi! the joists and supports the same. As shown in Figure l, the upper joist is illustrated as extending beyond the inner wall and the lower nailing strips 28 01 the joists are cut away at this point to permit the joist to rest directly upon a horizontal plate 5| secured to and connecting the top portions of the studding members. The panels 38 of each studding member are cut away sufliciently to permit the plate 5| to rest between and be secured to the extreme top portions of the nailing strips 42. The arrangement for connecting the joists and studding members shown in Figure 1 may be changed to meet existing conditions and it is possible that a room may be of sufficient size to necessitate the crossbeam or some other means for supporting the J'oists intermediate the walls of the room. It is also posible that a room may be of sufllcient size to accommodate several sections of joists and in this instance it would, of course, be necessary to provide an intermediate I-beam or other support for the adjacent ends of the joists. Therefore, the arrangement shown in the drawings may be changed to meet varying conditions and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact arrangement shown and described.

Figure 7 discloses a form of joist for extra heavy loads. In this construction each joist section 52 is spaced from its complementary section by a steel plate 53 and all three are secured together by suitable fastening means 54. In this modification, the base of the nailing strip seat is substantially flat and suitable nails 55 are used in addition to the converging walls 58 to hold the strips in position. It is to be understood that nails or screws may also be used in securing the nailing strips 22 and 28 in operative position if desired. Moreover, both the joists and floor pans may have any number of openings 51 and 58 respectively, formed therein as desired, for allowing the introduction of pipes, cables or other necessary equipment.

I claim:

1. A building structure comprising a plurality of channel-shaped members having abutting flanges secured together to form joists, the base of each member forming a floor pan connecting adjacent joists, the flanges of each joist being separated adjacent the top and bottom of the joist to form seats, and nailing strips mounted in said seats.

2. A building structure comprising a plurality o1 channel-shaped members having abutting flanges secured together to form joists, the base of each member forming a floor pan connecting adjacent joists, the flanges 01 each joist being separated adjacent the top and bottom oi the joist to form seats, said flanges converging inwardly from said seats to form tapered nailing strip anchoring means, and nailing strips supported and anchored in said joist seats.

3. A building structure comprising a plurality of channel-shaped members having abutting flanges secured together to form joists, the base of each member forming a floor pan connecting adjacent joists, the flanges of each joist being separated adjacent the top and bottom of the joist to form seats, nailing strips mounted in said seats, and a plurality of bridging elements extending between the floor pans and the joists.

4. A building structure comprising a plurality oi channel-shaped members having abutting flanges secured together to form joists, the base I 01 each member forming a floor pan connecting adjacent joists, the flanges 01 each joist being separated adjacent the top and bottom oi the joist to form seats, nailing strips mounted in said seats, and a plurality of bridging elements extending between the floor pan and the joists, each bridging element having one end thereof extending through an opening in a floor pan and secured to an edge of the opening, the other end of said element being secured to a joist.

5. A building structure comprising a plurality of channel-shaped members having abutting flanges secured together to form .joists, the base of each member forming a floor pan connecting adjacent joists, said floor pans being struck up to provide openings, each struck-up portion being bent over to form a rounded hook engaging portion, and a plurality of bridging elements connecting the joists and floor pans, each bridging element having one end thereof formed into a hook projecting through an opening in a floor pan the spaced flanges of said member adapted to abut and cooperate with like flanges of adjacent members to form sheet metal joists, each flange being provided adjacent its point of connection with the floor pan, with an oflset portion adapted to cooperate with a like portion on an adjacent flange to form a seat for a top nailing strip.

7. A sheet metal floor pan and joist structure comprising a substantially channel-shaped member, the base of which constitutes the floor pan, the spaced flanges of said member adapted to abut and cooperate with like flanges of adjacent members to form sheet metal joists, each flange being provided adjacent its point oi. connection with the floor pan, with an oflset shoulder and an upwardly and outwardly extending wall connecting the shoulder with one end oi? the floor pan and adapted to cooperate with a like shoulder and wall to form a seat for positively locking a nailing strip in the top of thejoist.

8. A sheet metal floor pan and joist structure comprising a substantially channel-shaped member, the base of which constitutes the floor pan, the spaced flanges or said member adapted to act and'cooperate with like flanges of adjacent members to form sheet metal joists, each flange being provided adjacent its point of connection with the floor pan and adjacent its free end, with offset portions adapted to cooperate with like portions on an adjacent flange to form seats for top and bottom nailing strips.

MAXIMILIAN NIRDLINGER. 

